November 26, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

 By Joe DeCapua, VOA

Despite the international naval presence off the coast of Somalia, full protection against pirates cannot be given to all the tankers and cargo ships sailing in the Gulf of Aden. However, there’s an alternative being offered that does not involved the use of warships. A company called Anti-Piracy Maritime Security Solutions (APMSS) uses non-lethal methods to prevent pirate attacks.

Nick Davis, chief executive of the firm, spoke from London to VOA English to Africa Service reporter Joe De Capua about why piracy has grown to be a serious problem in the Gulf of Aden.
“Primarily because of the amount of ships that are…transiting the area. Obviously, it is a pinch point to the Suez Canal. So, there’s an average of between…50 and 70 ships a day using the canal. Then you have those at anchorage. And with the busy Arabian Peninsula, you get them from all directions. So, incredibly busy area…certainly a lucrative one, as the pirates can see,” he says.
All of the APMSS methods are non-lethal. Davis says, “We don’t carry weapons at all. We use acoustic devices, which are basically long-distance, very directional, loud hailing systems. And these emit…150 decibels over a distance of about a nautical mile…. And to give you an idea of…the human pain threshold for sound is 121 decibels. So, it’s pretty excruciating when you get within a short distance of this equipment, firing warning tones and messages at you.”
So far, he says that APMSS has been 100 percent successful and gives a recent example. “We ourselves had an encounter with pirates last Thursday in the Gulf of Aden, where our teams managed to…thwart and repel an attack by pirates that did come quite close to the vessel. But once we activated the evasive maneuvers and increased the speed of the ship and had all the fire hoses going and used the magnetic audio device, the acoustic device that we had on board, then the pirates just turned…and went for a vessel that was unarmed further south behind us,” he says.
As the piracy problem escalated in the Gulf of Aden, ship owners faced the prospect of paying millions of dollars extra in insurance premiums. But says the cost of APMSS is much, much cheaper. “The cost of our service is $20,000 and that’s a fairly small price to pay to have an effective security solution on board,” he says.
Analysts have said that international naval vessels are too few in number to provide full protection for all the ships sailing in the Gulf of Aden. “They’re there with great big warships manned with between 300 and 700 people on board them. So, we’re effectively a three-man team with the necessary security equipment and experience to repel attacks. And our teams are embarked on these ships…. And they’re on board for 48 hours and then they get off again,” he says.
However, Davis says that no matter how much security is provided to ships, the solution to the Somali piracy problems lies in a political solution to the crisis in the country, which includes “infrastructure regeneration to the Somali people. Where they have no government, they have no ability to control their waters.”
He adds that poverty is a driving force behind the piracy attacks in the Gulf of Aden. “You know, these people (pirates) live in mud huts on the beach. So, they’re not really aware of what’s going on in the world. All they see is these ships that come in, these big fish factory ships that have sucked up all the tuna so that they can’t catch a single fish anymore. And these nice ships, moving cargo around the world that pay Egypt for the use of the canal…pay them nothing at all. And yet it’s destroyed their coastal development and abilities to earn money,” he says.
Davis adds, “They’re not out to be violent and killing crews…. They need money. They’re desperate for money and the money is shared within the communities. Yes, there are a couple of kingpin warlords that are controlling it all, but they are distributing the wealth along the coastline to the different villages and groups.”

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November 24, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

 http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1227548591399.shtm

Overview

The Importer Security Filing and Additional Carrier Requirements interim final rule will help prevent terrorist weapons from being transported to the United States by requiring both importers and carriers to submit additional cargo information to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) before the cargo is brought into the United States by vessel.

This interim final rule follows a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) published on January 2, 2008. Through the rulemaking process, CBP collected and evaluated approximately 200 public comments and has made significant enhancements to the proposed rule, as outlined in the interim final rule.

The data submissions required under the interim final rule must be delivered to CBP by way of a CBP-approved electronic data interchange system. This information will improve CBP’s ability to identify high-risk shipments in order to prevent smuggling and ensure cargo safety and security.

These regulations specifically fulfill the requirements of the Security and Accountability for Every (SAFE) Port Act of 2006 and the Trade Act of 2002, as amended by the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002.

Existing Requirements for Carriers and Importers

Carriers are currently required to submit advance cargo information for vessels no later than 24 hours before the cargo is laden aboard a vessel at a foreign port. This is commonly referred to as the “24-Hour Rule.” Carriers are not currently required to submit vessel stow plans or container status messages to CBP.

Under existing requirements, importers of record are required to file entry information with CBP within 15 calendar days of the date of arrival of a shipment at a United States port of entry. Inaddition, within 10 working days of the entry of the merchandise, entry summary information must be submitted. Importers are not currently required to submit advance cargo information to CBP.

New Requirements

Carrier Requirements
In addition to the existing carrier requirements pursuant to the 24-Hour Rule, the interim final rule requires carriers to submit a vessel stow plan and container status messages for certain scenarios pertaining to cargo containers destined to the United States.

• Vessel Stow Plan: Carriers must transmit the stow plan, via the Automated Manifest system (AMS), secure file transfer protocol or email, so that it is received by CBP no later than 48 hours after the carrier’s departure from the last foreign port. For voyages less than 48 hours, CBP must receive the information prior to the vessel’s arrival at the first port in the U.S. The stow plan must include the vessel name, vessel operator and voyage number. With regard to each container, the vessel stow plan must also include the container operator and the equipment number, equipment size and type, stow position, hazmat code, port of lading and port of discharge.
• Container Status Messages (CSM): CSMs must be submitted to CBP daily for certain events relating to all containers laden with cargo destined for the U.S. by vessel. Carriers must submit a CSM when any of the required events occurs if the carrier creates or collects a CSM in its tracking system reporting that event. For each CMS submitted, the following information must be included: event code being reported, container number, date and time of event being reported, status of the container (empty or full), location where the event took place, and vessel identification associated with the message if the container is associated with a specific vessel. This must be done no later than 24 hours after the message is entered into the carrier’s equipment tracking system.

Importer Requirements
The interim final rule requires Importer Security Filing (ISF) importers, as defined in the interim final rule, or their agents to provide eight data elements, generally no later than 24 hours before the cargo is laden aboard a vessel destined to the United States, for shipments consisting of goods intended to be entered into the United States and goods intended to be delivered to a foreign trade zone (FTZ). Those data elements include:

• Seller;
• Buyer ;
• Importer of record number / FTZ applicant identification number;
• Consignee number(s);
• Manufacturer (or supplier);
• Ship to party;
• Country of origin ; and
• Commodity Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) number.

The rule provides flexibility for importers with respect to the submission of four of these data elements. In lieu of a single specific response, importers may submit a range of responses for each of the following data elements: manufacturer (or supplier), ship to party, country of origin, and commodity HTSUS number. The ISF must be updated as soon as more accurate or precise data becomes available and no later than 24 hours prior to the ship’s arrival at a U.S. port.

The ISF will also need to include two data elements that must be submitted as early as possible, but no later than 24 hours prior to the ship’s arrival at a U.S. port. These data elements are:

• Container stuffing location; and
• Consolidator

In addition, the rule requires that the Importer Security Filing for shipments consisting entirely of foreign cargo remaining on board (FROB) and shipments consisting entirely of goods intended to be transported in-bond as an immediate exportation (IE) or transportation and exportation (T&E), must provide five elements. Importer Security Filings for IE and T&E shipments must be submitted no later than twenty-four hours before the cargo is laden aboard a vessel destined to the United States and Importer Security Filings for FROB must be submitted any time prior to lading. The following five data elements must be submitted for FROB, IE and T&E shipments:

• Booking party;
• Foreign port of unlading;
• Place of delivery;
• Ship to party; and
• Commodity HTSUS number.

Structured Review and Flexibile Enforcement Period

CBP has made several significant changes from the proposed rule, based on public and stakeholder feedback. The interim final rule also includes a delayed compliance date of 12 months after the interim final rule takes effect. During this 12-month period, CBP will show restraint in enforcing the rule. CBP will take into account difficulties that importers may face in complying with the rule as long as importers are making a good faith effort and satisfactory progress toward compliance.

In addition, CBP will conduct a review to determine any specific compliance difficulties that importers and shippers may experience in submitting all 10 data elements 24 hours before lading. The structured review will cover a range of enterprises, from small to large, and will include both integrated and nonintegrated supply chains.

Comment Period and Effective Date

The Importer Security Filing and Additional Carrier Requirements interim final rule has been submitted to the Federal Register and will take effect 60 days after publication. CBP invites written comment on the six data elements for which some type of flexibility has been provided, and on the revised Regulatory Assessment and Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis. Comments must be received on or before June 1, 2009, which is also the end of the information gathering phase of the structured review.

Based on the information obtained during the structured review and public comment periods, CBP will conduct an analysis of the elements subject to flexibility. The analysis will examine compliance costs for various industry segments, the impact of the flexibilities, the barriers to submitting the data 24 hours prior to lading, and the benefits of collecting the data. Based on the analysis, DHS will determine whether to eliminate, modify or maintain these requirements.

For additional information, please visit www.cbp.gov. Questions may be sent to Security_Filing_General@cbp.dhs.gov.

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November 19, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

Somali pirates operating off the Horn of Africa reportedly seized three more commercial vessels on 19 November 2008. A Thai fishing boat was the first reported hijacking, with at least 16 crewmembers being held hostage on the ship. Another vessel flying under a Hong Kong flag was seized in the same area. Maritime news sources stated that the ship is owned by an Iranian firm and is carrying a cargo of wheat. Suspected Somali pirates also boarded a Greek bulk carrier with between 20-25 crewmembers. All three ships were hijacked in the Gulf of Aden.

In a related development, Indian authorities announced on 18 November that one of their naval warships sank a boat carrying pirates in the Gulf of Aden. The armed frigate opened fire on the small ship after the pirates attempted to launch an attack. The Indian navy dispatched warships and helicopters to the Gulf of Aden earlier this month to assist in the fight against piracy.

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November 18, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

NORFOLK, Va.–A Virginia scientist pleaded guilty Monday to selling rocket technology to China and bribing Chinese officials to secure a lucrative contract for his high-tech company.

Quan-Sheng Shu, 68, pleaded guilty to two counts of violating the federal Arms Control Act and one count of bribery at a hearing in U.S. District Court in Norfolk.

Shu is president of AMAC International Inc. of Newport News. He is a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Shanghai.
Prosecutors said Shu, an expert in cryogenics, sold technology to China for the development of hydrogen-propelled rockets.

The Chinese government is developing a space launch facility in the southern island province of Hainan that will house liquid-propelled launch vehicles designed to send space stations and satellites into orbit. The project is overseen by an arm of the People’s Liberation Army.

The U.S. maintains an arms embargo on China. The State Department determined that Shu’s attempts to sell information on liquid hydrogen tanks and cyrogenics equipment for the fueling system of a foreign launch facility constituted an illegal transaction.

Prosecutors also said Shu had directed employees to falsify information to circumvent U.S. laws.

Shu also was charged with bribing Chinese officials to award a $4 million hydrogen liquefier contract to a French company acting as an AMAC intermediary.

Shu received more than $386,000 in commissions for securing the contract, authorities said. He already had agreed to forfeit that money. His company also has offices in Beijing.

Shu faces up to 10 years on each arms count and five years for the bribery charge and fines of up to $2.5 million. Sentencing is scheduled for April 6. He will remain free on $100,000 bond.

The scientist and his wife refused to comment as they left the courtroom. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors agreed not to prosecute his wife for the role she allegedly played in the scheme.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan M. Salsbury said Shu’s conviction was the result of an ongoing FBI investigation, but he declined further comment after the hearing.

Federal authorities in recent years have prosecuted more than a dozen cases of either traditional spying or economic espionage related to China. U.S. officials have warned in the past year of increasing espionage efforts by Beijing.

http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/va-scientist-pleads-guilty-selling-rocket-technology-china/

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November 17, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has enacted new rules changing the procedure for private aircraft to provide advance notice of their intended arrival or departure, and submit manifests of the persons on board. Private aircraft are defined as any aircraft, other than government or military, which are not engaged in carrying passengers or cargo for compensation. The new process is similar to the one currently in use by commercial aircraft and will standardize advance notice procedures for all CBP airports of entry.

 http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1226943980107.shtm

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November 17, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

The Iraqi Cabinet voted on 16 November 2008 on a pending agreement to lay the legal framework for the presence of U.S. forces in Iraq past 2008. The Cabinet approved the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), which establishes 31 December 2011 as the final date for U.S. forces to leave Iraq. Approximately 150,000 U.S. forces remain in Iraq at present, and under the agreement (which will take effect upon the expiration of a U.N. mandate on 31 December 2008) troops will be required to leave the streets of Iraqi cities by June 2009; Iraqi officials will also gain a significant amount of authority of U.S. troops and their movements. Negotiations over the agreement have been ongoing between U.S. and Iraqi officials since March 2008; the pact will now go to the Iraqi Parliament for approval. A vote has been scheduled for 24 November, and although many Iraqi groups support the pact, some are against it; at least one large Sunni group wants it to be put to a referendum, and Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr opposes it.

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November 17, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

Wildfires have caused significant disruptions throughout southern California since 13 November 2008. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared states of emergency in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Riverside and Orange Counties. Firefighters have not been able to fully contain fires in the towns of Anaheim, Corona, Yorba Linda and Brea. Approximately 50,000 people in the region have evacuated in recent days, though authorities lifted mandatory evacuation orders for approximately 25,000 people. The region’s Santa Ana winds weakened on 16 November, allowing authorities to launch an aerial firefighting effort that made some progress. The situation has resulted in a thick cloud of smoke over Los Angeles that has reduced visibility and air quality. Traffic has been disrupted on most highways at various points, though most freeways reopened late on 16 November. Metrolink train services between Los Angeles and Orange County have resumed.

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November 13, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

Release Date: November 13, 2008

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

Fact Sheet: DHS Announces Security Standards
for Freight and Passenger Rail Systems
Rail Transportation Security Final Rule (PDF, 204 pages - 801 KB)

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today regulations aimed at strengthening the security of the nation’s freight and passenger rail systems and reducing the risk associated with the transportation of security-sensitive materials.

“By striking a sensible balance of security guidelines with certain regulatory requirements, we’re enabling the rail and chemical industries to be stronger partners,” said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. “The results are sound security measures without excessively burdening owners and operators.”

The Rail Security final rule will require freight and passenger rail carriers to designate rail security coordinators and report significant security concerns to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The rule also will codify TSA’s broad inspection authority. For freight rail, the rule will ensure the positive handoff of security-sensitive materials as well as establish security protocols for custody transfers of security-sensitive material rail cars between receivers of these materials that are located in high threat urban areas, shippers of these materials, and rail carriers.

http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1226590026515.shtm

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November 13, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

On 13 November 2008 a group of gunmen abducted an Iranian diplomat in the city of Peshawar in northwestern Pakistan. Authorities stated that the suspected militants stopped the diplomat’s vehicle in the Hayatabad neighborhood and killed his bodyguard before quickly leaving the scene. Police investigators cordoned off the area and shut down surrounding streets in an attempt to track down the perpetrators. Representatives of the Iranian Consulate confirmed that the attack occurred and stated that no group has claimed responsibility. The abduction came one day after a U.S. humanitarian aid worker was shot and killed in Peshawar.

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November 3, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

If your television is tuned to cable news as frequently as ours are here at campaign headquarters, you have seen the pundits say John McCain and his campaign are done. And, if you’ve followed this race since the beginning, this is clearly a song you’ve heard before. I wanted to take some time today to give you some insight on the state of the race as we see it.

An AP poll released this morning revealed a very telling fact: ONE out of every SEVEN voters is undecided. That means, if 130 million voters turn out on Tuesday, 18.5 million of them have yet to make up their mind. With that many votes on the table and the tremendous movement we’ve seen in this race, I believe we are in a very competitive campaign.

Here’s why:

All the major polls have shown a tightening in the race and a significant narrowing of the numbers. In John McCain’s typical pattern, he is closing strong and surprising the pundits. We believe this race is winnable, and if the trajectory continues, we will surpass the 270 Electoral votes needed on Election Night.

• National Polls: Major polls last week showed John McCain trailing by double-digit margins - but by the middle of this week, we were within the margin of error on four national tracking surveys. In fact, the Gallup national tracking survey showed the race in a virtual tie 2 days this week.
• State Polls:

  Iowa - Our numbers in Iowa have seen a tremendous surge in the past 10 days. We took Obama’s lead from the double digits to a very close race. That is why you see Barack Obama visiting the state in the final days, trying to stem his losses. It is too little, too late. Like many other Midwestern states, Iowa is moving swiftly into McCain’s column.

  The Southwest - It is no secret that Republican candidates in the Southwest have to focus on winning over enough Latino and Hispanic voters in Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado to carry them to victory. John McCain has overcome challenges Republicans face, and has made up tremendous ground in these states with these voters. For these voters, the choice has become clear, and you have seen a big change in the numbers. John McCain is now winning enough voters to perform within the margin of error - putting these states within reach.

  Colorado - Barack Obama tried to outspend our campaign in Colorado during the early weeks of October and finish off our candidate in Colorado. However, after our visit early this week, we saw a tremendous rebound in our poll position, and Colorado is back on the map.

  Ohio and Pennsylvania - Everyone knows that vote rich Ohio and Pennsylvania will be key battlegrounds for this election. Between the two: 41 electoral votes and no candidate has gotten to the White House without Ohio. Senator McCain and Governor Palin have been campaigning non-stop in these key battleground states and tonight Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has pumped up our campaign at a rally in Columbus. Our position in these states is strong and undecided voters continue to have a very favorable impression of our candidate.

Obama campaign faces tremendous structural challenges in the final days of this campaign

• Obama has a challenge hitting 50%: Barack Obama has not reached the 50% threshold in almost any the battleground state. He consistently is performing in the 45-48% range. When we look closely at the primary votes, we see a history of a candidate whose Election Day performance is often at or behind his final polling numbers. If this is true, our surge will leave Obama with even or under 50% of the vote on Election Day.
• Early Vote: The Obama campaign has promised that their early vote and absentee efforts will change the composition of the electorate. They have sold the press on a story that first time voters will turn out in droves this election cycle. Again, the facts undermine their argument. In our analysis of early voting and absentee votes to date: The composition of the electorate has not changed significantly and most folks who have voted early are high propensity voters who would have voted regardless of the high interest in this campaign.
• Expanding the Field: Obama is running out of states if you follow out a traditional model. Today, he expanded his buy into North Dakota, Georgia and Arizona in an attempt to widen the playing field and find his 270 Electoral Votes. This is a very tall order and trying to expand into new states in the final hours shows he doesn’t have the votes to win.

The Final Barnstorm

• On Monday, we will have a 14 state rally with our candidates crisscrossing the country trying to turn out our voters and sway the final undecided voters. Governor Palin will hit Ohio, Missouri, Iowa, Colorado, Nevada and Alaska in the final day of campaigning, while Senator McCain will travel from Tampa, Florida, to Virginia, then Pennsylvania, Indiana, New Mexico, Nevada and finish the night in Prescott, Arizona. The enthusiasm and excitement we generate on Monday will be the electricity that powers our “Get Out the Vote” efforts on Tuesday.

On the Ground

• Our field organization has tremendous energy and is out-performing the Bush campaign at the same time in 2004. This week our field organization crossed a huge threshold and began reaching more than one million voters per day, and by week’s end will have contacted more than 5 million voters. Our phone centers are full and our rate of voter contact is significantly out-pacing the Bush campaign in 2004. We have the resources to do the voter contact necessary to support the surge we are seeing in our polling with old fashioned grassroots outreach.

On the Airwaves

• In the final days of the campaign, our television presence will be bigger and broader than the Obama campaign’s presence. The full Republican effort - the RNC’s Independent Expenditure and the McCain campaign will out-buy Barack Obama and the Democrats by just about 10 million dollars.

In short: the McCain campaign is surging in the final 72 hours. Our grassroots campaign is vibrant and communicating to voters in a very powerful way. Our television presence is strong. And, we have a secret ingredient - A candidate who will never quit and who will never stop fighting for you and for your families.

In these final hours, Senator McCain and Governor Palin are counting on you - they are counting on you to knock on doors, to make turnout calls, to contact your friends and neighbors. Get our voters to the polls and help John McCain fight for your and for our country. This is our last mission on behalf of John McCain and I have no doubt I can count on your effort and energy to carry us across the line to victory.

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